Homebrew Recipe
Dark Mild
- Method:
- Partial Mash
- Style:
- Dark Mild
- Boil Time:
- 60 min.
- Batch Size:
- 5 gal.
- Boil Size:
- 6.5 gal.
- Efficiency:
- 65
- Rating:
- Source:
- Brew Your Own
- Source Notes:
- January-February 2020, Vol. 26, No. 1 page 27. This is based on the three-time GABF medal-winning Hold the Reins dark mild from Brink Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brink was named Very Small Brewing Company of the Year at the 2019 GABF, their second time winning this award. Head brewer Kelly Montgomery provided the recipe, which was converted to homebrew scale. He mentioned that the recipe came from his homebrewer days, and has evolved over the years as he's tuned the profile to match his vision of the style. Brink uses a complex grist, but each ingredient is layering flavor and adding a desired effect. The use of flaked barley and oats provides some additional mouthfeel and body, which keeps the beer from seeming too thin. English malts provide rich flavors - Montgomery prefers English maltsters Crisp, Thomas Fawcett, and Simpsons for his grains. This mild is at the top end of the range for alcohol for the style, but doesn't seem overly big. The bitterness level balances the malt nicely, adding a counterpoint to the malt sweetness without overshadowing that aspect. The final gravity sometimes finishes a touch higher, which can also add to the mouthfeel. Hops are East Kent Golding and in only one bittering addition. Simple but classic. Water treatments are minimal; Montgomery uses calcium chloride, which enhances the maltiness of the beer. His supply water is carbon-filtered and treated with lactic acid to reduce the pH. He adds the darker malts after the mash, which he feels helps reduce harshness. He uses the Fuller's yeast strain, fermented on the warmer side. He says that under-pitching slightly helps ester formation, which is welcome in this style (similar to the methods used in making hefeweizen). If you have the ability to cask-condition your beers, this is a great beer to serve on a beer engine.
- Notes:
- Use 6.5 gallons of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158F. Steep the grains for 30 minutes. Remove and rinse. Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated. Chill the wort to 68F, aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at this temperature until complete, or you may want to raise the temperature a few degrees near the end of active fermentation. Rack the beer, prime and bottle (or cask) condition, or keg and force carbonate.
Brew Numbers
| OG | FG | ABV | SRM | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.043 | 1.014 | 3.8 | 22 | 17 |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % Grain Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Light Liquid Malt Extract | 4.33 lbs. | 61.70 |
| Notes: Maris Otter liquid malt extract | ||
| Brown Malt | 1.25 lbs. | 17.81 |
| Notes: UK brown malt | ||
| Crystal Malt 45 | 0.5 lbs. | 7.13 |
| Notes: UK crystal malt (50L) | ||
| Crystal Malt 10 | 0.5 lbs. | 7.13 |
| Notes: 8 oz. Carapils malt | ||
| Pale Chocolate Malt | 0.25 lbs. | 3.56 |
| Chocolate Malt | 0.1875 lbs. | 2.67 |
| Notes: 3 oz. | ||
| Total: | 7.02 lbs. | |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Boil Time | Use | AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Kent Golding | 0.75 oz. | 60 | Boil | 5.5 |
| Notes: 4.2 AAU | ||||
| Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| East Kent Golding | 0.75 oz. |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Product |
|---|---|---|
| English Ale | White Labs | WLP002 |
| London English-Style | Lallemand | |
| London ESB | Wyeast | 1968 |
| Pub | Imperial | A09 |
Mash Steps
| Step | Name | Temp | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partial Mash | 158 | 30 | Partial |
| Notes: Use 6.5 gallons of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158F. Steep the crushed malts in a mesh bag for 30 minutes, then remove, allowing to drip back into the kettle. | ||||